Islamabad
Renowned TV host and member parliament Aamir Liaquat Hussain has passed away in Karachi on Thursday.
Husain’s condition deteriorated early in the morning after which he was taken to the Aga Khan University Hospital, where he was later declared dead.
Preliminary reports shows the cause of the death was natural, however, a post-mortem examination of the politician will be conducted at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.
Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf adjourned the session, which started earlier today, till 5pm tomorrow (Friday) after receiving news of the lawmaker’s death.
Liaquat is survived by two children and was married thrice.
He joined the PTI in March 2018 and was elected as MNA from Karachi in the general elections held later that year. He had later fallen out with the party.
He had earlier been a key leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and had parted ways with the party in August 2016, saying at the time that he would be leaving politics.
Liaquat’s true claim to fame, however, came from the years he spent in the media limelight. In 2001, he joined Geo TV where he hosted Aalim Online, a religious programme that gained him a large following.
President Dr Arif Alvi expressed deep grief and sorrow at Liaquat’s sudden death. In a statement on Twitter, he prayed for the forgiveness of the deceased.
“The President expressed sympathy and [prayed for the strength of] the family [to bear the loss],” it added.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed his shock at the news. “Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain led a dynamic life from journalism to politics. He proved his mettle in various fields of life from writing and speech,” he said.
The National Assembly released condolence messages from Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Deputy Speaker Zahid Akram Durani.
In their messages, they expressed their heartfelt grief and sorrow over the “sad demise of the late MNA and paid rich tributes to his political and social services”.
